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CELEBRATE AUTUMN, HALLOWEEN AND HARVEST SEASON IN THE BRAND-NEW, FIRST-EVER TASTE OF HOME OCTOBER ISSUE

The October issue celebrates the best of the season’s spookiest holiday,

harvest-inspired menus starring seasonal produce, and a guide to getting the most out of your freezer space in the months ahead

September 20, 2011, Greendale, Wis.— Taste of Home, the world’s No. 1 cooking magazine, reveals its brand-new, first-ever October issue, devoted to the best of fall food and entertaining—and of course the month’s signature holiday, Halloween. The usual October/November issue has been split into two full-length magazines to give subscribers twice the value at no extra cost. The October Taste of Home issue provides the ultimate guide to celebrating fall, including complete menus planned around harvest produce, a unique Halloween entertaining theme, and plan-ahead meals to tuck in the freezer for busy nights. Halloween Spook-tacular

Flick or Treat (p. 30) For the first-ever October issue, the Taste of Home team spared no space or effort to highlight the best of what Halloween has to offer, including a fun and novel approach to celebrating the holiday. The resulting guide pairs some of the spookiest classic films with complementary—and delicious—recipes. Gather some friends to watch Hocus Pocus and whip up a pitcher of Witches Brew, a kiwifruit and mint cocktail. Or, for the braver crowd, turn on Dawn of the Dead and serve a platter of Bones and Blood, meringue cookies with chocolate-strawberry dipping sauce. Eat, Drink and Be Scary (p. 11) Readers coordinating a Halloween extravaganza, or even an intimate affair, will appreciate the fabulous decor and entertaining tips sprinkled throughout this issue. The Taste of Home staff combed through piles of festive decorations and compiled a list of the best of the best ghoulish gear to garnish the kitchen and the rest of the home.

Pick the Perfect Apple (p. 34) Early autumn is the perfect time to hit the farmers market and stock up on your favorite varieties for baking, cooking and snacking. This selection of recipes proves that, though there may be nothing more American than apple pie, there are plenty of other inventive uses for apples. Check out Apple, Blue Cheese & Bibb Salad and a few variations on a Grilled Apple Pizza, such as a brie and fresh thyme combination. But don’t fret: If it’s an apple pie you’re craving, there are recipes for a Crumb-Topped Apple Pie, as well as some fantastic Bite-Size Apple Pies (p. 38) There’s even a guide to regional apple-picking destinations for readers who want to pluck their own Honey Crisps and Jonathans. Frozen Assets (p. 57) Is there anything more satisfying than pulling a homemade meal out of the freezer to thaw? This month’s recipe contest and accompanying story celebrate the best of the delectable appetizers, entrees, desserts and snacks readers can store, thaw, bake and enjoy. Each recipe was tested both fresh and frozen, to ensure the flavors and textures survived the deep freeze. Flip over to the CookSmart section (p. 41) for some test kitchen-approved tips on getting the most out of your freezer and its contents. Clip out the handy expiration guideline and place it on the freezer door to remind you how long your pork chops will stay fresh. Totally Nuts About Pie (p. 77) Taste of Home’s “Roadfood” columnists, Jane and Michael Stern, take a look at a quintessential autumn food: the nut pie. Almost no other pies are as distinctively regional as these. From Texas pecan pies to walnut pies in Maine and macadamia pies in Hawaii, the Sterns uncover the tastiest, crunchiest nut pies America has to offer. Taste of Home readers provide their own recipes for the gorgeous pies that grace this issue’s cover, including the flaky, fabulous Greek Honey Nut Pie and a delicious Mixed Nut ‘n’ Fig Pie. PLUS: There’s always room for more

Across the Table: Jane Kaczmarek, who just happens to hail from Greendale, Wisconsin, where Taste of Home is located, shares her go-to secret ingredient, her brilliant advice for avoiding kitchen disasters and her must-have kitchen gadget. (p. 82) Weeknight Solutions: Just because we’ve survived the back-to-school season doesn’t mean that getting meals on the table each night is any easier. These quick comfort food recipes make hectic mornings and evenings a breeze. Let this weeklong menu serve as your guide in the weeks ahead. Taste of Home readers have even provided side dish suggestions. Weeknight solutions indeed: The dinner mystery is solved! (p. 50) Meals on Two Wheels: Hear the extraordinary story of some cyclists and home chefs turned philanthropists in Charlotte, North Carolina. A group of family and friends began a grassroots movement to help feed the homeless in their community, one burrito at a time. (p. 70)

About Taste of Home Taste of Home is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking and entertaining, serving home cooks a range of media that capture the joy and comfort that come from food made with love. Taste of Home publishes three magazines (the flagship Taste of Home, America's largest food and entertaining magazine, with a circulation of 3.2 million; Healthy Cooking; and Simple & Delicious); top-selling bookazines; newsstand specials; and popular cookbooks. Tasteofhome.com is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and lively community forums. Taste of Home is part of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Learn more at tasteofhome.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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